Uncooked beans...

Alembic772

New member
May 13, 2020
239
52
Spring Hill, FL
Parrots
Basil - 22yr male SI Eclectus
River - male GCC
Nemo - female BCC - handicapped
Summer - female pineapple gcc
Rainbow - male yellow side gcc
Lando - male black headed caique
Paprika - female SI eclectu
I know that we cook beans to denature the proteins and make them easier to digest. I just cannot get Basil to eat them most times. Yet, he will eat Garbanzo, Navy, and other beans uncooked. He just doesn't seem to like anything that has a soft and squishy texture.

Is there a harm feeding him the raw, uncooked beans?

Also, if any of you have advice for picky eaters and converting them, please let me know. I know the pellets he likes are my fault from years of me traveling for work and my kids/parents taking the easy route. But he's 22, and never had "odd" colors, so I guess we did something right.

Thanks again, and hope everyone had a great Father's day weekend.
 

chris-md

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Feb 6, 2010
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Maryland - USA
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Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
Yes, uncooked beans are not just hard to digest, but toxic.

The key to picky eaters is persistence (keep offering) and play. Play with the level of cooking you do: raw vs cooked. Some birds won’t touch raw carrots, eating Olney soft cooked carrots. Others won’t touch cooked carrots, preferring raw.

And play with the preparation/chopping: whole, halves, cubed, julienned, shredded, fine cuts tot he size of rice, sheets. The sky’s the limit!

Some birds won’t eat raw shoestring carrots, but will eat cooked cubes carrots.

Make sense?
 
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Alembic772

Alembic772

New member
May 13, 2020
239
52
Spring Hill, FL
Parrots
Basil - 22yr male SI Eclectus
River - male GCC
Nemo - female BCC - handicapped
Summer - female pineapple gcc
Rainbow - male yellow side gcc
Lando - male black headed caique
Paprika - female SI eclectu
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Yes, makes sense. We do mess with the chop, he is just super picky now. He used to love pomegranates, prickly pears, all types of stuff. Now he is more just into apples, and will "nose" through the chop. The best is the sad sound that plays after I am all happy that I made new chop, and he shoves his beak in the bowl and throws it all out in one shot. :)
 

noodles123

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Jul 11, 2018
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Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
Yes, makes sense. We do mess with the chop, he is just super picky now. He used to love pomegranates, prickly pears, all types of stuff. Now he is more just into apples, and will "nose" through the chop. The best is the sad sound that plays after I am all happy that I made new chop, and he shoves his beak in the bowl and throws it all out in one shot. :)
They need to be cooked to break down a toxin/poison (it's not just digestion) and certain ones remain unsafe even after cooking.
 

Anansi

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Yep, definitely cook those beans.

The key, I've found, is variety and rotation of chop ingredients. Personally, I make enough chop for 3 - 4 days worth of meals. Then, when making the next batch, I make it markedly different from the one before. Otherwise, they get tired of the same old thing every day.

Others make much larger batches that can be frozen, but they make different chop types in those large batches so that variety can be maintained. Just a variation on the same theme.

And Chris' point about mixing up preparation is huge, too. Texture is at least as important to birds as taste. Remember that their sense of taste is far less sensitive than ours. So, they focus on texture more than we do. My Bixby, for instance, only ate grated carrots. Never sliced. Weird, but I just went with the flow.

One other thing, though. You mention he's suddenly become picky. Is it to the point of weight loss? Refusing to eat foods he previously liked could be an indication of an issue if it's to a significant enough degree. But if his appetite remains healthy, this likely isn't anything to worry about.
 
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Alembic772

Alembic772

New member
May 13, 2020
239
52
Spring Hill, FL
Parrots
Basil - 22yr male SI Eclectus
River - male GCC
Nemo - female BCC - handicapped
Summer - female pineapple gcc
Rainbow - male yellow side gcc
Lando - male black headed caique
Paprika - female SI eclectu
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He’s not suddenly picky. He’s over time changed what he likes. Used to love pomegranate and prickly pears. Now he barely touches them. If it’s squishy he won’t eat it. He seems to prefer food that is firm to the touch.

I made a batch of chop but I don’t like how it came out so I am making another. I think his beans have to be basically al dente or he won’t touch them.

Lately he is loving celery and apples. I check his weight weekly and he is within his 365-380 gram range.


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chris-md

Well-known member
Feb 6, 2010
4,349
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Maryland - USA
Parrots
Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
They do that. Parker used to love peppers. Now he tolerates them at best.
 
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Alembic772

Alembic772

New member
May 13, 2020
239
52
Spring Hill, FL
Parrots
Basil - 22yr male SI Eclectus
River - male GCC
Nemo - female BCC - handicapped
Summer - female pineapple gcc
Rainbow - male yellow side gcc
Lando - male black headed caique
Paprika - female SI eclectu
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I am hoping that when I get to bring Paprika home, that she will be better to expose to more varied diet and he will try more because of her.


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